Published: Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 4:39 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 4:39 p.m.

It's the kind of accessory that no one wants to wear, but has been sported by more than 250,000 people in 48 states in the past nine years.

Even troubled actress Lindsay Lohan had to wear one for a while.

It's called the SCRAM-X, an ankle bracelet that monitors an individual's alcohol intake.

The ankle bracelet was created more than a decade ago by Colorado-based Alcohol Monitoring Services Inc. The company wanted to create a non-invasive device that could monitor and detect alcohol consumption.

In Volusia County, DUI and drug court judges have ordered a handful of defendants to use the device for the past six years or so, said Circuit Judge Joseph Will. But aside from that the SCRAM-X has not been spotted on the ankles of too many individuals in the area.

Now the Sunshine Safety Council — the agency that runs traffic school on Beach Street in Daytona Beach — will have them on hand as well. Safety Council director Sherry Garcia said she will have half a dozen of the devices for clients who have either been sentenced by the court to wear them, or for clients who need an additional incentive to stop drinking.

"We are trying to see how the SCRAM-X can allow the hard-core drinker to stay out of jail," Garcia said last week. "If that person can be monitored and be at home, it saves taxpayers' money and allows the offender to be at home with their family."

The technology in the device — called transdermal technology — detects alcohol consumption through the perspiration of the person wearing the device. The bracelet works with a modem that is connected to the wearer's cellphone or landline. The SCRAM-X monitors for alcohol consumption every 30 minutes; the individual wearing the bracelet only feels a slight puff of air on the ankle when the monitoring takes place, Garcia said.

If the person has consumed alcohol, the device detects that and stores the information in the SCRAM-X. At some point during the evening that stored information is electronically downloaded — the person wearing the device is unaware of this — and sent to the SCRAMNET database. Technicians at Alcohol Monitoring Services in Littleton, Colo., then decipher the information and send a report daily to judges, treatment centers, probation officers or any other provider of the SCRAM-X such as Garcia at the Sunshine Safety Council.

The SCRAM-X will also detect if the wearer comes in contact with any cleaning liquids or sprays that contain alcohol or if the person puts on perfume or cologne, Garcia said. The device can detect the difference between consumed alcohol and alcohol that comes in contact with the skin.

If the wearer consumed alcohol, he or she will be contacted by their SCRAM-X provider, Garcia said. If the person came in contact with alcohol externally — through cleaning products or perfume, for example — that must also be explained, Garcia said.

The SCRAM-X cannot be removed and the device will alert the SCRAMNET if the person wearing it tries to remove it.

"When someone really has a significant alcohol problem, they'll find a way to drink," Garcia said.

Judge Will, who deals with hundreds of addicts weekly, agreed.

"Addicts are a particularly wily lot," the judge said recently. "This (the SCRAM-X) is good for people who have a hard time with alcohol."

A huge proponent of the SCRAM-X, Will said he started ordering defendants to wear the device about six years ago.

But first, he had members of his own staff test the bracelet to determine if it was effective. Will said staff members drank alcohol while wearing the device and also came in contact with alcohol externally to see if the SCRAM-X would monitor that.

"They're (the SCRAM-X) very accurate," Will said. "We have about half a dozen people on them right now."

Garcia fitted her first client with a SCRAM-X bracelet on Tuesday afternoon. The client asked not to be identified, but Garcia said she is a 22-year-old Deltona resident who was sentenced by a judge in Seminole County to wear the SCRAM-X for two years.

"The average amount of time to wear the bracelet is 90 days," Garcia said.

<p>It's the kind of accessory that no one wants to wear, but has been sported by more than 250,000 people in 48 states in the past nine years. </p><p>Even troubled actress Lindsay Lohan had to wear one for a while. </p><p>It's called the SCRAM-X, an ankle bracelet that monitors an individual's alcohol intake. </p><p>The ankle bracelet was created more than a decade ago by Colorado-based Alcohol Monitoring Services Inc. The company wanted to create a non-invasive device that could monitor and detect alcohol consumption. </p><p>In Volusia County, DUI and drug court judges have ordered a handful of defendants to use the device for the past six years or so, said Circuit Judge Joseph Will. But aside from that the SCRAM-X has not been spotted on the ankles of too many individuals in the area. </p><p>Now the Sunshine Safety Council &mdash; the agency that runs traffic school on Beach Street in Daytona Beach &mdash; will have them on hand as well. Safety Council director Sherry Garcia said she will have half a dozen of the devices for clients who have either been sentenced by the court to wear them, or for clients who need an additional incentive to stop drinking. </p><p>"We are trying to see how the SCRAM-X can allow the hard-core drinker to stay out of jail," Garcia said last week. "If that person can be monitored and be at home, it saves taxpayers' money and allows the offender to be at home with their family." </p><p>The technology in the device &mdash; called transdermal technology &mdash; detects alcohol consumption through the perspiration of the person wearing the device. The bracelet works with a modem that is connected to the wearer's cellphone or landline. The SCRAM-X monitors for alcohol consumption every 30 minutes; the individual wearing the bracelet only feels a slight puff of air on the ankle when the monitoring takes place, Garcia said. </p><p>If the person has consumed alcohol, the device detects that and stores the information in the SCRAM-X. At some point during the evening that stored information is electronically downloaded &mdash; the person wearing the device is unaware of this &mdash; and sent to the SCRAMNET database. Technicians at Alcohol Monitoring Services in Littleton, Colo., then decipher the information and send a report daily to judges, treatment centers, probation officers or any other provider of the SCRAM-X such as Garcia at the Sunshine Safety Council. </p><p>The SCRAM-X will also detect if the wearer comes in contact with any cleaning liquids or sprays that contain alcohol or if the person puts on perfume or cologne, Garcia said. The device can detect the difference between consumed alcohol and alcohol that comes in contact with the skin. </p><p>If the wearer consumed alcohol, he or she will be contacted by their SCRAM-X provider, Garcia said. If the person came in contact with alcohol externally &mdash; through cleaning products or perfume, for example &mdash; that must also be explained, Garcia said. </p><p>The SCRAM-X cannot be removed and the device will alert the SCRAMNET if the person wearing it tries to remove it. </p><p>"When someone really has a significant alcohol problem, they'll find a way to drink," Garcia said. </p><p>Judge Will, who deals with hundreds of addicts weekly, agreed. </p><p>"Addicts are a particularly wily lot," the judge said recently. "This (the SCRAM-X) is good for people who have a hard time with alcohol." </p><p>A huge proponent of the SCRAM-X, Will said he started ordering defendants to wear the device about six years ago. </p><p>But first, he had members of his own staff test the bracelet to determine if it was effective. Will said staff members drank alcohol while wearing the device and also came in contact with alcohol externally to see if the SCRAM-X would monitor that. </p><p>"They're (the SCRAM-X) very accurate," Will said. "We have about half a dozen people on them right now." </p><p>Garcia fitted her first client with a SCRAM-X bracelet on Tuesday afternoon. The client asked not to be identified, but Garcia said she is a 22-year-old Deltona resident who was sentenced by a judge in Seminole County to wear the SCRAM-X for two years. </p><p>"The average amount of time to wear the bracelet is 90 days," Garcia said.</p>